Just A Feeling: The SRR Files
by allg0nemadd
Summary: An on-going, perspective-based story about Scully and Reyes, from first meeting to final episodes. As Reyes gets involved with the X Files, she and Scully grow close. Based on actual episodes; behind the scenes and what we really want to believe. SRR
1. This Is Not Happening

_**Obligatory Spiel:** I do not own, or claim to own, any of the characters, names, plots, lines, scripts, or ideas herein. They belong to their respective creators; I am only playing with them._

**Warning:** This story contains, or will contain, adult content. I probably broke the age law when I was young, so I won't get on you about that, but please don't read if you know you'll be offended by the content or the pairing. Thanks!

**Info: **This story is intended to be the beginning of a series of chapters embellishing on actual episodes. I've used actual lines and scenes, but much of the content will be fictional. Dana Scully and Monica Reyes as a couple is NOT canon; this is a made-up background. Thanks for reading! As always, R & R is appreciated, and considered.

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**Chapter I: "This Is Not Happening"**

Helena, Montana: 11:36 AM

Agent Dana Scully hurried out of the car. Her newest partner was walking slowly towards them, hands in his jacket pockets. Assistant Director Walter Skinner closed his door as Scully spoke to Agent Doggett. "Did you find her?"

Doggett turned, glancing towards the sunbathed scenery, both picturesque and desolate. "No," Doggett said simply, squinting in the sunlight.

"No?" Scully approached him. "I don't understand; you called us all the way out here."

Skinner stood beside Scully as Doggett turned and faced the agents.

"To get another point of view," Doggett said, a familiar look creeping into his features. Dana grimaced, quite perturbed to be suddenly following a different direction than she had planned. She couldn't understand why she and John always seemed to repel in their methods, rather than mesh.

"Another point of view?" She said, more than asked. "We have a patient missing, Agent Doggett." She felt herself losing more patience with each moment that passed. For all she knew, Theresa Hoese was dead. Somehow, both agents always had different priorities on cases. Scully's most urgent priority was securing Theresa. Doggett however, seemed to have a different idea.

"You should just hear her out," Doggett said. Slices of memories crept into Dana's mind, and she recalled characters like Karin Berquist, or as Scully liked to call her, "The Crazy Dog Lady". She'd spoken to many "experts" and specialists in her time on the X Files, but she had never quite felt comfortable accepting outlandish ideas.

"Hear _who _out?" Scully said, too irritated already to keep the disdain out of her voice. The morning had been long; she hadn't slept, eaten, or showered, and she had all but broken down in front of A.D. Skinner the previous night, having clung to him like a child to her father. She had no time for patience.

Agent Doggett turned, shading his eyes from the sun, and looked up a towards a hill. Skinner and Scully followed his gaze. A dark-haired woman was standing with her back to the agents, the wind whipping at her short brown hair. Doggett began to walk towards the hill, Skinner and Scully in-tow.

"Her name's Monica Reyes," Doggett started. "I worked a case with her once. She's got some expertise I thought we might take advantage of."

Scully almost rolled her eyes., but was too busy avoiding the knotted roots and sharp rocks in her path to bother. "Expertise in what?"

"She's got her Masters in religious studies," Doggett said. "Her specialization is Ritualistic Crime."

"Are we working the same case here?" Scully exclaimed.

Doggett scoffed, and Scully hated herself for softening slightly at his enduring smile. The three continued towards the woman, who Scully could now see was wearing dress-pants, a grey jacket and heels. She certainly _looked _FBI, but "ritualistic crime" was not a division Scully was willing to commit herself to.

"Agent Reyes," Doggett said as they approached. The woman did not immediately turn, but quickly leaned forward and flicked what looked like a cigarette butt onto the sandy ground. She turned with a straight smile.

"Assistant Director Skinner," Doggett motioned to Walter. "Agent Scully." The woman smiled, folding her hands in front of herself, nodding slightly towards the introduced agents. Doggett turned back to her, "Monica Reyes."

Agent Reyes nodded again before lightly blowing a wisp of smoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Hi," she nervously raised a hand, clearly ashamed to be caught smoking during introductions. She had a wide, genuine smile that Scully found both sweet and shy. Sweet and shy didn't seem like the help she needed.

Scully watched the woman, waiting for more. Clearly John believed she had a purpose and could be of help in their case, so she waited to be impressed. An unsure silence crept through the group, John gauging reactions between the two women, Reyes waiting for John to speak, and Scully's eyes glued to the new agent. As Doggett caught Scully's gaze, she raised her eyebrows.

It was Agent Reyes who broke the silence first. "Beautiful country out here," she said, still smiling. She almost looked as if she was going to laugh, and Scully reasoned it must have been her way of dealing with awkward situations. She seemed like the type of person who was difficult to anger. Clearly, John had "warned" Monica about Agent Scully prior to introducing them; she seemed to be avoiding the redhead's piercing eyes.

Reyes moved towards the butt she'd flicked, extending a toe to flatten it into the ground. "I know it's not very FBI of me but I'm really trying to quit," Reyes said with sincere apology on her face. Skinner stood with a polite smile, but Scully's eyes remained as sharp as thumbtacks. She could have spoken up at any time, as was usual for her, but something about Agent Reyes made her feel inclined to simply observe. She wanted the agent to present to her, rather than go fishing for her own advice.

Agent Reyes seemed to take Scully's queue. "So Agent Doggett's been taking me through the case," she crossed her arms around herself in the gusty wind, her eyes on Skinner. "Interesting."

Scully looked towards the ground, a pessimistic smile blossoming on her lips, one that she didn't try to contain. "Interesting," she repeated, analyzing the other agent's choice of adjectives. It had a detachment about it, like what someone who didn't understand and didn't care to might say.

"Well what do you think happened?" Reyes asked, shedding the last of her polite introductory attitude and suddenly appearing quite professional.

"Isn't that what you're here to tell us?" Scully pushed at Reyes again; if the other agent had cracks, she'd find them. This was not a case on which she wanted to play games.

"Oh, I have my own thoughts," Reyes said, her voice friendly and light compared to Scully's current grumble. "It's just… what we think happened and what actually happened aren't always the same thing. But not altogether insignificant, either."

Scully thought a moment. "I'm sorry, this feels like therapy," she said, finding the analytical lose ends of Reyes' statement too out-in-the-open for her rational mind.

Reyes tried to explain. "What happened being different from what we want to have happened."

"What _who_ wants to have happened?" Scully felt like she was in a tennis match of words, but she knew she started it. It would only be moments before the ball would fall in Reyes' court, and the brunette would lose the match.

Reyes' smile disappeared for the first time, her expression both respectful and strong. "Well I'm told this case involves you."

Scully hesitated. It was possible Monica Reyes knew more than she would have liked John to share. "It may have involved someone close to me," Scully all but growled, completely unwilling to let any other agents handle the fragility of her relationship with Mulder. "Can we stick to the facts please?"

Agent Reyes did not falter easily, and she thought quickly. She barely quaked at Scully's sullen disposition as she answered. "Well, it's pretty clear that the woman that was found out here did not inflict her own injuries," she started, as she walked past Scully and Skinner. "She was dropped here by someone, and whoever it was cared about her enough not to kill her."

Scully, Doggett and Skinner faced Reyes as she turned. Scully needed more.

"Did you happen to know the peculiar nature of her injuries?"

Reyes answered immediately. "Yes, they were peculiar. But not altogether different from your typical cult ritualistic abuse." She nodded, and Scully momentarily found herself convinced by the "expert", or at least by her presentation.

Skinner began to speak, bringing up that this was a case of abduction, not cult rituals. Like she had with Scully, she answered instantly and openly. Scully was meanwhile looking for the point in their meeting. Was John trying to convince her that all the abductions and Mulder's disappearance was some sort of a cult ritual? If this turned out to be so, she promised she'd have a stern discussion with him at a later date. It was clear to her that whatever John believed was the case might have come from the ideas of Agent Reyes. Had she rationalized him out of believing in the extra-terrestrial explanation? It would be ironic, since Scully spent the first five years of the X Files doing the same to Agent Mulder.

"So what do you think happened?" Scully asked Reyes, anxious to figure out her character.

"Well, I'm told that Mulder and the others who were taken were true believers," Reyes began. "People one-hundred percent convinced in the abduction phenomenon."

"If this is about people staging their own abductions. . ." began Skinner.

Reyes recovered, "No, it's about people coming together. Like minds as a group…" She was talking to Scully, and Scully was beginning to find her more solid, though she still knew more than Reyes did. She kept silent however, and continued to listen. Reyes made it known that she believed Mulder was part of some kind of group. She never accused him of being a cultist, and when Scully asked, she gave her smile and corrected her, insisting she call it a group instead. Still, Scully had witnessed the faceless men burning innocent people-members of these "groups"; she knew the people of the groups were not the cause of the violence and disappearances. Still, Reyes implied that Theresa Hoese was both left and taken by the cult leader-why, none of them could say.

"It makes sense," Doggett addressed Scully, trying to justify both himself and Agent Reyes. "The leader drops her off out here, leaves her to die, then finds out she's still alive and comes back to pick her up for fear of exposure."

"Are you asking me to believe this?" Scully asked Doggett.

Surprisingly, Reyes answered. "No, that's not what I said," she said gently. "I don't think he left her to die. I don't think she's dead."

"Based on what?" Scully asked, wanting to believe Theresa was alive, but not wanting to believe Reyes' theory.

The innocent smile crept back onto Reyes' lips, but she was past avoiding her gaze. "Nothing really," she said. "It's just a feeling."

Her eyes, which Scully only now noted were a rich brown, were sincere. Everything in her body language indicated she was a creature of instinct and feeling, and as opposite as this was from Scully, Dana found herself almost willing to trust it. Still, it did not tell her _where_ Theresa was, _who _was responsible, _where_ Mulder might be, or even if he was alive. The only thing their meeting had accomplished was to complicate the web of persons involved who neither understood nor cared like Agent Scully. None of them, including John, knew what she had known, or seen what she had seen, and she was tired of trying to explain. Throwing the towel in on their "other point of view", Dana simply walked past Agent Reyes and away.

She heard footfalls behind her and knew it was Doggett. Her pace did not slow.

"What are you walking away for? It makes some kind of sense," Doggett caught up with her.

"I'm glad you agree with her Agent Doggett because I'm not even sure she agrees with you," Scully said, becoming aware of the fact that there was a chance Doggett and Reyes might have had a closer relationship than she previously thought. If this was Doggett's attempt at rekindling old flames, she wanted nothing to do with it.

As she brought up the peculiarity of the doctor who removed Theresa the previous night being in two places at once-something she knew to be associated with the alien bounty hunters-it was Doggett's turn to lose patience.

"If you're going to tell me this is another alien bounty hunter, this is where we part company," Doggett said, the sunlight illuminating his face.

Scully held onto her sternness. Slowly, she nodded, "Well enjoy your new company."

Doggett watched her go, and she could feel his eyes on her. She didn't regret what she'd said, because she knew it to be true. If Doggett wanted to be around the people he agreed with, she'd let him. She knew what she knew, what Mulder knew, and if she had to find him alone, she'd do it.

Skinner exchanged some final words with the other agents while Scully sat in the car, looking out onto the desolate territory. She mused on how her role had been so strangely reversed. There was a time when she would not have swallowed a story about shape-shifting alien bounty hunters, just as Doggett didn't, but years had proven themselves; Mulder had proven himself. She sensed in Doggett the same unwillingness to believe that she held onto those first few years.

In Agent Reyes, she sensed a willingness to believe, but a lack of experience. Reyes wanted to rationalize the situation with what she knew, which in this case, wasn't much. Scully assumed that if Reyes had seen some of the same things she and Mulder had, she'd instantly understand, and probably wouldn't deny her belief.

But Scully was exhausted, frustrated, and in need of silence. She didn't have time or patience to make a believer out of another rookie.

"Thank you for coming in on this," Agent Doggett said to Reyes as he returned from his conversation with Scully. "I'm sorry if we couldn't be more-understanding." He cast a glance at Skinner, who knew he was referring to Agent Scully.

"Well, I'm sure there are many angles to this case," Reyes said. "And nobody said it would be easy."

She gazed towards the car where Scully was sitting and looking out the window. Doggett nodded, understanding her meaning. He had briefed Reyes a little on the history of the case, and the connection Agent Scully had to it, but even he felt like he could never understand enough.

"I was hoping you'd stay on," Doggett said, turning back to Reyes. "There might be more to this cult ritual thing than we know."

Reyes was nodding. "I'll help any way I can."

Doggett gave Skinner a brief nod, which he took as his queue to return to Scully. He extended a hand to Agent Reyes, "Nice to meet you, Agent."

Reyes nodded and smiled. Skinner and Doggett exchanged glances and half-smiles as Skinner left. Reyes watched as he walked back towards the car.

"Shall we?" Agent Doggett's voice cut through the newfound silence. She turned to him and nodded, feeling like her morning could have been a lot smoother. She got in the car as Doggett opened the door for her, realizing how out-of-place she suddenly felt. She and John had worked the toughest case of either of their careers together, and yet she felt completely blind now, and much like a child trying to swim in the deep end. Her body and brain longed for a cigarette.

"I'm going to run a sweep of this area today with some help from the investigative team," Doggett said as he got in the driver's seat and buckled his belt. "I'd like your help, in case we find anything out of the ordinary."

Reyes nodded, but she was thinking back on something Scully had said. The whole morning had been like a trial, and Monica found herself being tested on details she could only piece together with her imagination. Scully had questioned her knowledge of Theresa Hoese's injuries-something that Doggett had only briefly mentioned to her earlier that morning. Often in her work, the injuries were the best evidence. If this was cult-related, the wounds on the woman would surely be an indicator.

"I'd like to look at the injury reports," Reyes said as Doggett began to drive.

"What? What for?" Doggett asked.

"You told me a little about how she was found, but I'd like to study the charts myself," Reyes said. "I think I might be able to tell you more after I do."

Doggett looked at her briefly, then returned his eyes to the road. "Alright, I'll drop you off."

"If you still want my help, I can drive back out here," Reyes said.

Doggett nodded. "If you could," he made a quick turn back onto the highway and the ride smoothed out. "Listen, I hope you weren't too put off this morning. Nobody's asking you to impress… Scully's just had a rough time with things. She's usually more than cooperative."

Reyes blinked. "You don't need to apologize for her, John," she looked at him and smiled. "And I wasn't put-off."

She may have been flying-blind on this, taking lucky stabs in the dark, and trying hard to look like she knew what she was doing, but she often did her best work that way. Dana Scully wasn't blind, she did know what she was doing, and Reyes knew she could sense her inexperience, but Monica never backed out. If Scully were to ask her to back off from the case, she'd acquiesce. But until then, Reyes was determined to play.

Back at headquarters, Agent Reyes stared at the X-ray images of Theresa Hoese's neck and skull. She had read the initial injury report when she'd had a thought: if this woman had indeed been abducted, she might have received an implant chip, something she'd heard a little about from Agent Doggett. Her theory of ritualistic abuse was growing cold; Theresa Hoese showed none of the familiar signs that would indicate the symbolism of cultist violence. Instead, she thought she'd follow Scully's road a little and see what she could interpret there.

She absently stroked at her neck as she studied the X-rays. There was definitely something spooky about the situation, alien or not. She hardly noticed a figure breeze past in the hallway, until Agent Scully came back to the door. Reyes turned to her, feeling oddly like a child with a hand in a cookie jar. Scully stood in the doorway, silently watching.

"Hi," Agent Reyes said simply. Scully did not respond, but seemed to be fighting an inner struggle as to whether she should stay, or go. Slowly, she advanced towards Agent Reyes, clearly curious but hesitant to admit it.

"I thought you'd be out combing the hills with Agent Doggett," Scully said, her heels sounding on the hard floor. Reyes absently noticed how much shorter Scully was compared to her, but still felt like she was being subordinated to her.

"I'm on my way out to see him," Reyes said, again feeling like she was justifying herself for no reason. "I just wanted to see film on this woman's injuries."

She turned back to the X-rays as Scully stepped further into the room and slowly closed the door behind her. "Is there something you're looking for, Agent Reyes? Something in particular?"

Reyes faced Agent Scully and decided to be open and honest. "Implants, or signs of them," she said, turning back to the screen.

"Implants?" Scully repeated, her eyes also scanning the X-rays. "I don't understand."

"Metallic implants, placed in the body," Reyes began, wondering if Scully was trying to keep the lid on what she knew. It would not be the first time Agent Scully "tested" her. "Often made of cartilage or bone, making detection a little more difficult."

Scully was nodding, "Yeah, I'm well aware of how they work."

Reyes was growing confused at Scully's game. "You said you didn't understand," she said lightly, and with a smile.

"I don't understand your interest in something that is commonly considered evidence of alien abduction-as a disbeliever in that phenomena," Agent Scully said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, I'm not a disbeliever," Reyes replied, realizing Scully's mistrust of her and her experience was something she had developed after many encounters with skeptics unwilling to believe.

"I know what I heard," Scully continued. "And what I heard you say is that what we're dealing with is nothing more than a UFO cult…"

Reyes realized the misunderstanding. "There's the confusion," she smiled. "I still believe that, but it doesn't mean I don't believe in the phenomena."

Scully's look softened curiously. "You believe in extra-terrestrials?"

Reyes laughed lightly, turning back to the screen and flipping off the light. "Let's just say I don't _not _believe." It had always been her way to be open to anything-willing to believe, but not prematurely convinced. "As I said, I try to stay open."

She walked past Scully, who didn't answer immediately. She knew Scully was interested in her take on the case, maybe even believed she could help, but she also knew Scully was herself skeptical. Reyes wasn't going to push anymore; if Scully had questions, she'd be open with her, too.

"What is it you specialize in again?" Scully's voice did not surprise her, and Reyes knew she'd cast an effective lure. "Ritualistic crime?"

"Right," nodded Reyes, studying an injury report. "Satanic ritual abuse… or I should say claims of it, we never found any hard evidence."

She saw Scully nod out of the corner of her eye. "We should talk sometime."

Scully was smiling slightly, which was more than Reyes had expected to get from her all morning. Encouraged, she continued.

"Not that I don't believe in it; I was something of a "black sheep" in the field office back in New Orleans, because of my beliefs."

"And what beliefs are those?" Scully asked, her usual sternness softening slightly.

Reyes hesitated. She wasn't sure how much she should delve into her spirituality in front of Agent Scully; she was already being inspected under a microscope, and nothing she could say to the hardened agent could possibly gain her any points. But Scully hadn't even softened up to her until she'd brought up her department and her specializations. Tiptoeing out on a ledge, Agent Reyes let herself be honest with Scully.

"I just have certain spiritual notions," Reyes said. "I believe there are energies in the universe. It might sound kind of cosmic, but I think I'm sensitive to them."

Scully listened, her face remaining interested, but straight. What she was thinking Reyes couldn't even guess at, but she took it as a good sign that the other agent wasn't stomping away again.

"I get these feelings," Agent Reyes continued, hoping Scully's interest was holding. She was about to elaborate on her "feelings" about Theresa Hoese, but Scully posed a question.

"Do you have any… feelings about Agent Mulder?" Scully asked. Reyes saw desperation behind her eyes, but never quite burning to the surface. Reluctantly, she shook her head.

"I don't know Agent Mulder," Reyes explained. "And I don't have any feelings about him…"

Scully nodded, looking absently past Reyes to the wall behind her. Reyes could feel her weaken; it was part of the energy phenomena she had been trying to describe. It had served her well her whole life, so she let it guide her in her response.

"But I am feeling your fear," she said delicately. "And fear's not going to help you find him, or anyone else."

Scully was nodding slightly, her lips parted, and Reyes knew she had been let in. She had been honest, and from Scully's reaction had hit the nail on the head, but it didn't make her feel any better about the brutal reality. She now felt Scully's fear herself, washing over her and fighting against her constant need to stay strong and determined. Reyes knew what Scully needed.

"Maybe you can try and stay open, too," she said softly, noticing now Scully's eyes only barely made contact with her own, whereas before, she was always looking into her. The agent cast a glassy blue gaze on Reyes, nodding in her agreement and comprehension for what she had said, before letting her eyes again fade to the wall. Reyes gave a final smile before exiting the room; John would be waiting for her help in the field.

Agent Reyes brushed past Scully as he exited. Her words sunk in, just as she had intended, and Scully nodded again to herself as she tried to contain all-too familiar tears. As she exited the lab and walked back down the winding hallway, Scully replayed her conversation with Reyes. From what she gleaned, Monica Reyes was almost comparable to Fox Mulder: an outcast in her field office, but honest and open about her beliefs and views. Unlike Mulder, she wasn't convinced of things she had no evidence of, but rather open to the ideas of phenomena explained by the unconventional. This made her appealing to Scully in that she was not a skeptic-Agent Doggett had been a skeptic, and it took weeks for Scully to even accept him as her new partner.

Reyes knew about the implants, and seemed to know about how they worked. How, Scully couldn't say, but she chided herself for underestimating the agent. Reyes was operating her own kind of X-file division in New Orleans, and had studied the paranormal years before Scully had even met Agent Mulder. It was possible the agent's point of views and expertise might after all be useful. Even if they ended up irrelevant to Scully's case, Scully felt that they might be something Mulder wouldn't out-rightly dismiss. So, for Mulder, Scully decided she would let Agent Reyes have a go. If the agent's feelings were as acute and insightful as she claimed, she may be able to understand Scully better than anyone else she'd been associated with since Mulder's absence.

She silently mused to herself as she got into the elevator. _Who better than a black sheep to find another black sheep?_


	2. This Is Not Happening to Deadalive

_A/N: The following glosses over a good chunk of plot-pertinent episodes from the end of Season 8. It helps to have viewed them first. This chapter runs from the end of "This Is Not Happening" and through the following episodes, without sufficient detail to the show's storyline; I want to keep the focus on the important scenes and episodes for Scully and Reyes. Enjoy!_

11:26 PM

Agent Reyes sped down the dark highway, ignoring the darkness and desolation of the world around her. She was used to the climate and atmosphere, having grown up in Mexico, but there was something about this part of the Montana wilderness that was not beautiful. The radio was off as she silently considered the things that had been bothering her since her arrival.

She recalled lonely nights spent with John Doggett, nights where she knew there was no hope, and she knew he was thinking the same, though he'd never say it. She hadn't needed sleep during those few weeks; how could she sleep when an innocent young boy was missing with no note, no ransom, and no trace? It hurt her worse to know it was John's son; she and John had gotten close right from the start. She had sensed that John trusted in her maternal instincts, which is what made him open up to her. She never revealed to him that she really hadn't had any maternal instincts, and instead tried to open herself up to the idea of thinking like a mother.

It didn't take long before John's wife officially gave up on the case, growing increasingly frustrated with John's persistence in something that she was only trying to get over. John became incensed that she would let their son go so easily, and the two became even more distant. John revealed to Monica that their relationship hadn't always been what it should have been from the start, but he had always loved their son and their family. As if Luke were the glue holding their union together, they drifted apart, leading up to that one impulsive evening at the field office in which Monica and John's relationship would be forever changed.

Monica bit her lip as she remembered him crying on her shoulder, her hands holding his head as she fought back tears for him, knowing this was his official sign-off on the case. The rest was a blur of pounding hearts, meaningful stares, frustrated, desperate kissing, and John taking her right there on top of his desk. It was as if they were unstoppable, destined to do what they did. The quickness and impulsive nature of the thing shocked Monica more than anything. John had cried as he gently held her body against his own, but she never felt the need to stop what was progressing. Now, and only now, she wondered why.

They'd parted company on the case in good terms, but it was as if both were ignoring what had happened, closing it in with the case file. There were no phone calls, no goodbye kisses, no leftover chemistry-just an end. Now, more than a few years later, Monica was back with Doggett on another case, and she was finally bringing it back up. She wondered if he was, too. She had hoped they would maintain their professionalism, keeping their emotions behind their curtains as they had on Luke's case. They were close, and they both knew it, but some things were better left unsaid, unspoken and unseen.

Monica glanced to the passenger's seat longingly, observing the pack of cigarettes she had failed to dump in the trash bin back at the investigation site earlier that day. She promised herself not to smoke any of them, but couldn't throw them away. Now, her mind reeled with forgotten past skeletons, and her mouth, body and lungs craved the tang of the nicotine she'd been trying to resist. Losing the fight, she reached for the pack and took one out. She placed it between her lips as she fumbled in her pocket for a lighter, but stopped as she felt the car shudder.

The lights on the dashboard flickered and the car was slowing. Then, the lights suddenly came back on, the speedometer gauge rose, and the car was once again moving as she accelerated. Frowning, she looked outside the windows. She had to double-take as she realized there was a bright light glowing just outside the passenger's window, a light where there shouldn't have been one. To add to her disbelief, the light was moving, fast.

Thoughts of UFOs and spaceships flooded her mind as she watched the peculiar lights. Absently she removed the cigarette from her mouth. "No fricken way," she said to herself. Slowly, she pulled over, her eyes still glued to the illuminated sky. It wasn't until the light was almost touching the ground that she could see the craft it was attached to. Almost perfectly cliché, the spaceship was the characteristic saucer-shape seen in most fabricated images. But this was not fake; Monica had had strange withdrawal symptoms from cutting out nicotine before, but she was absolutely sure this was completely real.

Deciding she needed to get closer, a flicker of Agent Scully in the back of her mind, she reversed and pulled up onto the terrain, driving along-side of the bright light as she looked for a good vantage point. The craft had disappeared by the time she had gotten close, but she observed two figures moving around near the landing-site. They were lifting something oblong up into a pickup truck, and Monica had been in the Bureau long enough to recognize a body bag when she saw it.

Heart pounding, she unbuckled and hurried out of the car, dashing quickly down the hill while trying to un-holster her gun.

"Stop there!" She screamed at the men, who turned at her approach. "I'm a Federal Agent!"

"The men panicked, working quicker to secure their cargo in the back of the truck before hurrying in themselves. The truck lurched into gear and sped off into the night, the tires leaving behind trails of dirt as Monica finally reached their previous position. She had just enough time to spot bare feet poking out from underneath a blanket in the back of the truck. It was possible their "body" was still alive. . . .

In despair over losing her targets, Monica turned, finally catching her breath after her romp through the underbrush. On the ground before her was another body, but she knew instantly upon looking at it that the man was dead. Slowly she advanced forward, the only thought on her mind was Agent Mulder.

The man was naked, his body bruised slightly and scraped in places. She couldn't be sure if it was then men in the truck who had discarded him, or the strange spaceship. She looked at what she could see of his face, but she didn't know what Fox Mulder looked like. If this was him, she'd need someone else to make the ID.

Sighing, she pulled out her phone, her lighter falling to the ground. As she dialed, she absently kicked it into the underbrush, her decision made.

Scully's heart raced as she barely registered the words through the earpiece of her phone. "It's Mulder?" Her voice was hardly a whisper.

"They're not sure on that, Agent," Skinner said calmly. "They need an ID, and an autopsy."

Scully's eyes were filling with tears as she nodded. "I'll meet them there."

She hung up on Skinner and was out of the door quicker than she could think. The drive took minutes, but it felt like hours. She could barely control her fingers as she tried to change clothes and suit-up for an autopsy, but a part of her knew that the body Agent Reyes and Doggett had brought in was not Mulder. She would have known, she would have heard, if it were Mulder.

Emerging into the lab, she noticed right away the man lying on the table was no more than a boy. Her heart fluttered as she walked towards the body, but sunk again as she recognized the face of Gary Cole, and she was transported back to her first X Files case, with all the same strange occurrences. His face was bruised and pocked with holes, and Scully instantly knew he'd been touched by experiments similar to her own.

Skinner and Doggett stood silently against the far wall. She glanced at them briefly before obtaining a tape-recorder and beginning the preliminary evaluation of the body. Skinner and Doggett stayed silent as she observed. The body was ravaged, and Scully found herself unconsciously imagining Mulder, wondering if he'd been given the same treatment. For the first time she could remember, Scully felt like breaking down at the table. Her voice was weak as she finished her record. Doggett and Skinner were looking concerned, but no words were said.

"Where's Agent Reyes?" Scully asked, attempting to shake her fear, dread and hopelessness. "Didn't you say she found him?"

Doggett nodded. "She was on 35 and had a-chance encounter," Doggett said, side-glancing to Skinner. "She's outside."

Scully nodded and the door opened, the miserable face of Gary's best friend Richie visible. Scully knew he was there for another ID, but she couldn't subject him to much more than a glance. His face contorted instantly as he recognized his friend. "Gary," he stammered, looking ready to bawl.

"You can go now, Richie," Scully said gently. "They'll just need you to fill out a form."

Richie nodded and was led away by a suited man. Scully gripped the table as she felt her stomach plummet again. If this was to be Mulder's fate, she was certain she was not prepared to take it.

. . .

Days Later

What the agents encountered over the following days did little to quell Scully's fear, and when Agent Mulder was identified in a field on another "drop-off" and presumed dead, Reyes dislodged herself from the case completely. Doggett hadn't argued, and they again parted company. He had told her to keep her phone on for him, and she realized he'd appreciated her help on the case, even though she walked away feeling like there was little she'd done. Her heart was aching for Scully, even though she barely knew her, because she couldn't even imagine what it would be like to find her 7-year partner dead after an illicit abduction. Returning to work in New Orleans seemed like a dream, and her head wasn't in it. She kept recalling what she'd seen and witnessed. It seemed there were rules out of anybody's control, and a part of her felt that even Mulder was an exception to those rules. She could fear the worst, but hope for the best.

Scully, on the other hand, was feeling the disillusionment of everything happening around her. She never truly believed Mulder was dead, and when he suddenly was, it was more than she could take. The whole thing wasn't right, didn't make sense to her, and frustrated her because of its severity. She had felt that perhaps it was all a wrong nightmare, and that it couldn't be so bad. She turned out to be right. Mulder was alive, again, and before she even knew what had happened or would happen, it was back to normal in a most surreal way.

She stayed up late at night, staring at the ceiling and rubbing the growing baby inside her, wondering why all the most intense moments of life tended to become glossed over after they were finished. She had felt like a marionette for the past few days, barely aware of her own movements, actions or decisions. Under stresses like these, Scully entered a state of being that left her no control, and she hated this feeling. Now that Mulder was back, she hoped that she could again gain control over her life and the people in it.

She was also aware of her tendency and distaste for wishful thinking.

Through a blurry series of days, Scully trudged along, miraculously keeping composure, avoiding arguments with Agent Doggett, and mostly pretending Mulder's ordeal hadn't happened-taking her lead from his own actions. The baby gave them both something to be strong for, and although they were both aware it was not over, they were content to at least pretend it was.

With all the spinning thoughts and confused musings that plagued her late at night as she tried to fall into something like sleep, the thought of Monica Reyes occasionally surfaced. Scully hadn't said goodbye, or even a thank you, to the agent who had essentially led them to Mulder. Guilt tickled the edges of her senses, but she reasoned that with everything that had happened, she couldn't be held accountable for a slight slide of manners. She also figured out that Doggett's involving of Reyes on the case was probably a personal matter; there was something between them that Scully couldn't directly label, but was ever-present when they were together. Any further business Agent Reyes had in the case and in DC would surely go through Doggett.

There was a history there-a disappearance and murder of a child, a divorce, weeks of misery, and a plaguing mystery that Scully felt was little to do with her. She herself had too many problems creeping up behind her, and wondered if every FBI agent had difficult lives.


	3. Essence to Existence

_A/N: The following takes place during the end of Essence and the beginning of Existence. All lines are property of the original writers, and Chris Carter._

12:13 AM_  
_

Scully was frustrated. If it weren't for the overriding fear she was unable to keep down, she'd let her frustration prevail. In the last few hours, she'd been ushered from person to person, from room to room, given only minimal facts. Mulder was terrified, and that was enough to terrify her. It was not that her life was in jeopardy; it was the life of the growing body inside her.

Doggett, Skinner, Mulder, even Alex Krycek, moved hastily to get Scully to safety, but all she recalled from the ordeal was multiple elevator rides, Mulder's hand tightly gripping her own, and the baby kicking inside eagerly as she struggled for their survival. She didn't have time to plan, and that bothered her. When she finally made it out of the Hoover building in the lowest parking garage, there was only enough time to register a car, a familiar face, and a group of people saying goodbye. Later she would regret she couldn't give Mulder a more personal farewell, since she knew she was being shipped out to deliver their child in secret. The last she heard was surprisingly from Krycek: "Drive safely."

Monica Reyes got into the driver's seat, tossing a sweater over the console hurriedly as she started the ignition. They shared a glance and Monica was driving off as quickly as the engine started. Scully had the sudden sensation of being a child, and could only watch out the windshield as Agent Reyes drove quickly but smoothly out of the garage and onto the street. They didn't speak, and the radio wasn't on. Reyes' eyes were firm on the road, her expression serious with determination and duty. Scully felt as if she were floating, unfeeling suddenly as the adrenaline wore down in her system. The rhythmic rocking of the road and the streaks of the lights passing by sent her into a disassociated sleep.

Monica chewed her bottom lip, realizing for the hundredth time she hadn't had a cigarette in hours. The inner struggle between self-scolding and self-indulgence was playing itself out in her body language. Alternating between chewing her lip and tapping her fingernail on the steering wheel, she watched the sun beginning to rise in the east. The sun was supposed to bring the comfort of a new day, but Monica only felt more apprehensive. With the excitement dwindling, the reality of what it was she had to do was dawning on her. She hadn't given it a second thought; when John called and requested her help, she was more than eager to be there, but now as she started into the pink-painted clouds of dawn, she wondered just how much help she could be.

Scully was going to have a baby in only a few days. That Scully was a doctor comforted her, but also intimidated her. She knew next to nothing about delivering a baby, and Scully was already slightly intimidating. Reyes found everyone she admired intimidating, and had only just let herself realize she admired Dana. She had felt that they would come together again, and after working with Agent Mulder a week prior, she was certain she would be somehow linked to the X Files from then on. When Doggett called and explained their current situation, Monica found it lucky she hadn't left for the airport.

Now, she had been driving at least four hours, and Dana had been asleep much of the time. Part of Monica was relieved; she didn't know how much of a comfort she could be to the agent, and certainly couldn't answer any questions. She also felt out of place being the one to deliver the baby. Dana barely even knew her, yet she was putting two lives in her hands. The realization felt heavy on Monica's chest, and brought her back to the thought of a cigarette.

A while later, the sun had fully risen and was beginning to warm the interior of the car. Monica stole a glance at her sleeping passenger, who's pregnant belly seemed somehow larger now that Reyes knew she'd soon be holding the baby inside of it. Dana was beautiful, and Reyes tried to focus on how beautiful the baby would be instead of all the potential things that could go wrong. She turned back to the road as a few cars passed going the other way. Ordinary people going about their ordinary business on another ordinary day, and Reyes felt a slight tinge of envy at the freedom she'd sacrificed for the bureau.

It passed instantly as Scully raised her head and opened her eyes. Reyes was back in the world of the X Files, and was aware that she would imminently need to make small-talk.

"Oh god," Scully said, looking out her window. Reyes turned to her concernedly. "I was hoping this was all a dream."

Reyes bit her lip again, thinking of all the pointless empty comforts she could offer, finding none of them appropriate.

"When did the sun come up?" Scully asked.

"About six hours ago," Reyes responded, thankful for the subject change. "Somewhere back in North Carolina."

"Where are we?" Scully's eyes were on her, but Reyes studied the road.

"We just crossed into Georgia," she said. "Long way from home, Agent Scully."

She turned back to the redhead, who closed her eyes and sighed.

"We can't be too safe," Reyes continued, swallowing hard. Scully noticed, and sat up.

"Are you alright Agent Reyes?" She asked.

"I should ask how you're doing," Reyes said, hoping to lead Scully off her trail. "I mean, you're the one who's going to have this baby."

Scully seemed to catch onto Reyes' hidden anxiety. "That's it, isn't it? What you're really worried about?"

Reyes glanced at her. Understanding was in Scully's eyes, and she smiled gently. Reyes thought about how she'd word her thoughts, but intended upon being completely honest with Scully.

"Aside from whatever danger we're in," she started. "Where we're going doesn't sound like there's much in the way of a facility." Scully was nodding, and Reyes continued, hoping she understood-or even sympathized-with her. "I mean, I've never delivered a baby."

Scully smiled and turned to Reyes. "Well I've never had one, so that makes us both beginners."

Reyes felt suddenly less pressured, and shared a smile with Scully as they pressed onward to their destination.

Night had fallen before Reyes finally stopped the car. Scully felt her legs stiffen and realized they had driven the last five hours without stopping. Now, they had arrived in some sort of small town, but it was evident the place had been deserted for years. There weren't any lights for miles, besides the headlights of the car.

Reyes turned off the engine and cast Scully a glance. Without further prompting, both women hurried to get out of the cramped car. Reyes was putting on her jacket as she walked around to the passenger's side.

"End of the road," she commented.

"Yeah," Scully looked towards the dirt path that ended in ramshackle buildings. "Literally."

Reyes opened the back door and withdrew a duffel bag.

"If anyone finds us out here it really will be a miracle," Scully said, stretching her back and feeling the baby stir. "Where exactly are we?"

Reyes turned to her as she holstered her gun at the back of her pants. "Democrat Hot Springs," she said. "According to Agent Doggett, people used to come for the waters, until the springs dried up and they quit coming."

Reyes shouldered her bag as Scully tried to imagine the rundown town as a tourist destination.

"He was born here," Reyes said.

"Really?" Scully was surprised. "Well that's… comforting."

She had never heard of the place, and was certain nobody knew John Doggett was born there. There was a chance they would be safe and un-found in the quiet, dark little town. But first, she needed to figure out where exactly they should go. She turned to Monica, who seemed far more prepared than herself.

"So where do you want to set up?" Scully asked.

Reyes was already looking towards a nearby building. "Over here," she pointed.

Scully followed as Reyes set off, her flashlight turning on and illuminating the dusty path before them.

"Any particular reason?" Scully asked, curious, but oddly trusting of the other agent.

"I think I told you I feel these energies," Reyes said as they walked. "About people and stuff. And places. I found it works best to go with my instincts."

They stepped up on a creaky porch, and Scully remembered the instincts Agent Reyes had had the last time they had worked together, and how she had helped find Mulder. She couldn't explain Reyes' sensitivity to energies and forces, but she knew that she trusted her.

The window of the building were curtained, and painted along its top was "Water from the Rock; Exodus 7:16." A stained glass picture of Mary stood against the window, and as Reyes opened the door and shined the flashlight inside, Scully noticed several crosses amongst the empty furniture and debris fragments. Scully walked behind Monica, surrendering her take-charge persona to the focused and able Agent Reyes. The room was silent and peaceful, and as she watched Monica observe their surroundings, she thought she sensed something too.

"I'm getting a feeling myself," Scully said. She had never given birth, but conditions could have been much worse. Towards the corner of the open space, she noticed a staircase, some counter tops, and a small kitchen. The building was set up like a house, but she doubted the utilities like heat and water were in commission. She slowly started towards the sink, which was strewn with gossamer and coated in dust. The handles were big and rusted, but she tried the cold tap. The pipes ticked slightly, but not a drop of water came out.

"Well there's no water from this rock," Scully said to Reyes with irony. "We're gonna need some water, and a place to boil it, along with clean supplies and a place to do this delivery."

Reyes stood next to her and nodded. Scully waited for a response, but she simply smiled at her and rubbed at her neck.

"I'm a little stiff from the drive," said Reyes. She gave Scully a slightly guilty smile, handed her the flashlight, and walked away from her and back out the door. Scully watched, realizing the other agent must have been craving a cigarette.

"Okay," she whispered, mostly to herself, as she held up Reyes' flashlight and attempted to put together the hows and wheres of their makeshift hospital.

Outside, Reyes waited until she was leaning against the car and far away from Scully before lighting a cigarette and taking a relaxing drag. She pocketed her lighter and turned away from the building, wishing she had never started her demanding habit.

The air outside was fresh and crisp, just a little chillier than DC, and silent compared to the noises of the city. It had been a while since she'd been away from any city, and she wished she was there under different circumstances. She'd half expected Scully to step up and take over once they'd arrived at the Springs; after all she was a medical doctor and it was her baby. That Scully seemed to be putting her trust and faith in Reyes was simultaneously flattering and terrifying. And now, here she stood, outside and away from her charge, smoking another cigarette and wondering if she had it in her at all.

She glanced towards the tops of the trees to see the stars, but noticed a much brighter light instead. Glowing just between the treetops, the light was brighter than the moon, brighter than the stars, and definitely not an aircraft. Reyes' stomach dropped, and she decided quite instantly that she'd much rather be inside, cigarette be damned. She took a final drag, keeping her eyes on the non-moving light, before dropping the un-smoked half, squishing it into the dirt, and exhaling the rest of the smoke.

She wasn't going to tell Scully. Not yet. At this point, the agent had enough to worry about.

Neither Scully nor Reyes had glanced at a clock or watch in hours, so it came as a surprise to both when the sun began to glow against the east horizon. They'd spent the last few hours trying to make the house habitable; Scully had dusted off surfaces and Reyes was determined to move the furniture to more accessible places. They hadn't spoken much, just brief comments or questions about this and that. The apprehension was setting in, though neither wanted to drag it up and unnerve the other.

Scully spent the dawn sitting on the porch, marveling at her lack of sleepiness. Reyes was inside, and Scully assumed she was either sleeping or rearranging the furniture again. She wasn't sure, but she felt like Monica Reyes would be the type of person to dapple in Feng-Shui. Scully had worse concerns than the furniture; they needed supplies. The kitchen was stocked with dishes, but nothing that was particularly suitable for delivery. Reyes had managed to pack enough clothing and a spare blanket stolen from her hotel room before she'd left, but all Scully had were the clothes on her back and her gun.

They'd stopped at a few gas stations on-route, where Reyes bought bottled water, power bars, and some crackers, but Scully hadn't had an appetite in days, and that wasn't exactly the type of food to bring it back. She hadn't checked the cupboards in the kitchen, and there were many other houses, cabins, buildings and shacks in the area in which supplies could be scavenged, but Scully's mind was on the sky, and on Mulder. She felt like she'd left him in danger, though she knew it was she who was in greater danger now.

She must have dozed off leaning against the wooden column supporting the roof of the porch, because she woke to sunlight and warmth. Birds chattered from the woods nearby, and the sky was bright blue. Normally, Scully woke needing to visit the bathroom instantly, as the baby seemed to control her bladder. She decided first priority would be to find a suitable latrine, if Monica hadn't already. It would be much easier if they were both men, she mused.

"Dana," Monica's voice turned Scully's head back to the house. "Come see what you think."

Reyes was smiling brightly, and had taken off her jacket and shoes. Her white t-shirt was bright in the sunlight, and her hair was tucked behind her ears. Scully felt suddenly like she was visiting her at her home, and as she stepped into the ramshackle old building, her feeling only increased.

Monica had transformed the entire place into a more-than-hospitable living area. The furniture was not only arranged to perfection, but there were sheets on the cushions, cloth on the tables, and dishes cleaned and stacked. The curtains and windows were open, giving the place a bright, airy feel that put Dana in the mind of Spring.

"Oh my goodness," she said in awe as she walked further into the living room area. There was a giant stone fireplace she hadn't noticed the night before in the dark, and the woodwork of the walls was beautiful. There was also a piano, and Reyes had turned the couch into a kind of bed, with crisp white sheets and a basin beside it. "Look at this," Scully said, turning back to Reyes.

"Look at you," she couldn't hide the smile turning up her lips. Monica was also smiling, the kind that parents have on Christmas morning as their children unwrap their presents. She stood quietly next to Dana, her arms down and her shoulders back, and Scully felt highly impressed with the other agent for the second time since their introduction. She had already taken a liking to Monica after their work on Mulder's discovery, and after Monica's suggestion that Scully keep an open mind and an open heart. Now, she was yet again taken off-guard pleasantly by her, and couldn't keep her smile down.

"Wow," Scully walked towards the bed, admiring the small details that she hadn't noticed in the dark, or hadn't been there before Reyes' touch. Reyes followed behind silently. Scully sat down on the mattress and was surprised at its softness. There were extra sheets and blankets sitting beside her on the bed, and she noticed candles stacked on the table beside it. Reyes stood behind the bed, her eyes still watching Scully's reaction to her attempt at interior decorating and cleaning.

"I found them upstairs," Reyes smiled, noticing Scully looking at the sheets. "And a whole box of candles."

"Do we have matches?" Scully asked, realizing the electricity of the place must be out.

She looked at Reyes, who had that guilty little girl look Scully came to associate with her smoking habit. "I have a lighter," Reyes' shoulders shrugged slightly and her eyes conveyed both meaning and guilt.

"Yeah," Scully remembered, feeling suddenly silly for missing something so obvious.

"Now all we need is some mood music," Reyes said. "Like Whale Song."

Scully arched an eyebrow. "Whale Song?"

"Yeah, they've got these recordings of whales talking to each other, calling back and forth," Reyes said, gesturing with a hand and closing her eyes. "Like _hmmmmmmmmm, HMMMMM," _she hummed. "I don't know... it's almost metaphysical."

Scully watched the agent with amusement, forgetting that she was an agent at all. Before her stood someone who still felt the pull of nature and the spirituality of earth, and she suddenly missed Melissa for the first time in months.

Reyes opened her eyes and looked suddenly sheepish, her shoulders stiffening again. She scoffed at herself. "You're looking at me like," she smiled, "I don't know, I probably sound like a goof."

Scully looked at her lap, not wanting to blush noticeably. "No, no, it's not that," she said. "Um, I was thinking you reminded me of someone I was close to." She smiled up at Reyes but found it difficult to look at her now. "My sister, actually."

"You're not close to her still?" Reyes asked.

Scully inhaled. "Uh, she was killed," she started. "About five years ago, in my home."

Reyes' smile weakened to a stare of concern and sympathy. Scully shook her head, finding words insufficient and clogged in her throat. She looked back to her lap. "It was a terrible time."

The thought of Melissa being an aunt to her child had suddenly occurred to her, and she felt the ache within her throat that she fought so hard to keep down. Reyes moved towards her, and a warm hand touched her shoulder. At that soft touch, Scully felt the ache turn into tears, and she knew if she let Reyes comfort her, she'd probably break down. It was not something either of them needed to deal with at the moment, and Scully had been struggling to be strong again for so long since Melissa's death. She didn't intend upon relapsing.

Slowly she leaned forward, turning back to Reyes. "No, it's okay," she said gently. "But thank you. Thank you for putting this together."

Reyes' eyes were on her, with her, in her, and she again found it hard to look at the other agent. Monica might talk about feeling energies, but she certainly exuded them as well. For whatever reason, Scully was weakened by it, and it was a sensation that was too comforting to be good.

"It's not what I planned," Scully continued. "But it's very nice."

Reyes smiled warmly and nodded, and Scully felt almost shy for a moment. Then, something caught Monica's eye, and she turned to the window while un-holstering her gun.

"What?" Scully asked, alarmed by the sudden change of atmosphere.

"There's someone out there," Reyes said, walking to the door. "Stay here."

Scully watched as Monica became Agent Reyes again, her face firm and her body taut. She wondered if she, too, should go for her gun, but reasoned that instead she should listen to what everyone had been telling her, and remain hidden.

Nervously, she watched as Monica exited the house, hoping that whatever was out there wasn't looking for them specifically.


	4. Existence

_A/N: This chapter finishes _Existence.

Agent Reyes burst through the doors of the newly fixed house. Her arms lifted instantly, gripping her gun and waiting for the movement she'd caught out of the corner of her eye to return. Her face set hard, she surveyed the dusty, run-down town. Slowly she started down the stairs, her grip firm. She felt something was off, and she always went with her feelings.

She walked down the gravel drive she and Scully had driven on the night before, birds chattering and distracting her ever-alert hearing. The town was deserted. Slowly, she lowered her arms, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood tall. She turned back around to return to Scully just as the roar of an engine sounded behind her. She turned suddenly, and a large truck turned the corner of a cluster of buildings, and headed straight for her. She raised her gun again and stood perfectly still, rooted to the spot, but aware that should the driver want to get to Scully, he could easily mow her down in three seconds.

The truck stopped just before her, the tires spraying dust and pebbles behind it. The windshield was too dusty to see inside, but Reyes was already shouting.

"Get out of the car! I'm a federal agent!"

In compliance, the door opened and to Reyes' surprise, a woman in a sheriff's uniform slowly stepped out, her hands in the air.

Scully heard Reyes shout and moved towards the still-open door. Cautiously, she peeked out. Reyes was circling around to a woman in uniform, her gun pointed at her and her steps cautious. Scully instinctively felt her own gun at her hip, ready to back Reyes should it come to that.

Dana watched as Reyes and the agent conversed, but their words didn't reach her. Reyes' stance did not lessen, and the woman was seemingly defending her credentials. Then, Reyes finally lowered the gun, and with one hand was taking her badge out of her belt. Scully bit her lip and moved away from the door as the two women turned and started back towards the house. She silently slipped into a hallway, deciding it would be better to keep herself hidden.

After a few moments, she heard footsteps, and her fingers went to her badge. Reyes' soft voice called her, and she took a breath before exposing herself and her badge. Quickly, and without lowering her badge, she explained their predicament. Reyes stood silently behind the curious woman, but did not look altogether at ease.

"You don't plan to have it here. . ." the woman said, after Scully mentioned the baby.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds," Monica interjected. "She's a doctor; she can coach me."

"And what if something goes wrong?" The sheriff asked. "You're a doctor; you should know the risks."

Dana hesitated. "This man that's after me is very dangerous," she said, tears forming in her eyes out of both fear and exhaustion.

The woman's expression slackened, and she finally nodded, a nod that gave Scully the sympathy she was looking for.

"I have a first-aid kit in the truck," she said. "I'll go get some towels and proper swaddling."

Scully nodded. "Thank you."

The sheriff left, and Monica exhaled visibly. Dana stepped towards her, unsure what to say but aware that they were both still leery.

"I guess this place isn't as abandoned as we thought," Reyes said quietly.

"What do you think, Monica?" Dana asked, standing close so they could talk without the other woman hearing, should she return soon. "What do you feel?"

Reyes wasn't sure if this was a jest at her talks about sensing energies, or a genuine question, but there was no hint of a smile on Scully's lips, and her blue eyes held Reyes' brown ones.

"I feel-" she started, gazing at the floor instead. "I think she means no harm," she finished simply, looking back up to Scully. "But, I'm not putting my full trust in anyone at this point."

Dana nodded, feeling it was all that would suffice. They kept glances with each other a moment longer before the sheriff returned. Then they drew apart, aware that the less she knew about their full situation and partnership, the better. Only the essential words would be said.

Later that evening, after the sun had been taken over by nightfall, Scully began to feel feverish. Aware that it was probably her hormones causing her body heat to increase, she quietly informed Monica that she may be nearing a starting point for delivery. Monica went pale, but was fast to recover as she offered to boil some water and got Scully a washcloth.

Meanwhile, the female sheriff stayed mostly out of their way, having supplied them with towels, antiseptic, a tin of medical supplies, and a blanket. She had driven off just as the sun set, though neither Reyes or Scully were sure what station she'd returned to. The rest of the evening had been quiet, until Scully's sudden heat-rushes.

Dabbing her brow with a cold cloth, Scully finally allowed herself the reality of being pregnant. In what could be a few short hours, a new life would be brought into the world, a life that was nothing short of a miracle. The realization must have also been with Monica, because she kept glancing at Dana expectantly and admiringly, with something underneath that Dana could only assume was excitement.

As Monica returned with a bucket of fresh, cool water, Dana thanked her and basked in the comforting glow of the candles she'd found. She silently wondered how the experience would differ if Mulder was with her, and smiled at the silly thought. Monica stood before her and put her hands behind her back, like a child about to politely ask for something.

"I have to say," Reyes started, Scully lifting her eyes from the water basin, "with everything that you must be feeling… you look amazingly beautiful, Dana."

Reyes' smile, a smile that Scully had grown quite fond of in its honest simplicity, finished her statement, and Scully couldn't help but smile inwardly at herself. Not only was she given a compliment, but Reyes' body language proved to her that it was honest. Monica had almost said it like a high school boy might say to his date, with a little bit of embarrassment but a lot of meaning. Perhaps Reyes worried she would offend Scully with her off-hand compliments?

Scully lowered her gaze as she felt the compliment hit home, a sensation she hadn't felt in a while. She wanted to say thanks, and knew she should, but it seemed such a dry response to such a sweet comment. Then, another thought came to her mind, something she'd been considering the whole time they'd been there.

"And what about what you're feeling?" She asked Monica, putting together all the sweetness and all the glances, wondering if she, too, could catch energies. More than a few times, Scully had felt a swelling under-current around Monica that she couldn't place. The decorating, the protection, the panic and pride at Scully's pregnancy… then the comment. Scully felt as if she were either being taken on as a sister, or treated by an admirer.

She didn't know Monica enough to have even considered her sexuality, and it had always occurred to her that she and John were closer than just professional partners. But as she considered the possibility that Monica might have attractions towards other women, the pieces almost fit. She felt bad considering that everything Reyes had done was out of some girlish crush or infatuation, and didn't think she was being fair to her to do so. But, she also felt like if Reyes wanted to bring something out into the open, she was likely to do so upon being asked. So, Scully tried to be subtle.

"Any vibrations, Agent Reyes?" She asked, her tone just raised enough to be suggestive of something other than earth-energies.

Monica, however, was currently all-professional. "I don't know," she shook her head and glanced out the window. Dana had developed a sense of working-Reyes and social-Reyes, and this was no longer social-Reyes. As Monica bent over to pick up her jacket, Dana felt slightly jarred.

"What?" Dana asked.

"I don't know if I'm just being paranoid…" Reyes sighed, tugging on the hem of her jacket. "But something feels off."

She said the last words while looking concernedly at Scully, and Dana realized how tough Monica's guard really was. If she was to get to know the personal feelings of the other woman, it would have to be under different circumstances.

She watched Monica as she shook off her worried expression. "We need some more water," she said comfortingly, giving Dana a little smile before she gathered up the bucket and again left the house.

Dana sat with the washcloth in her hand, going over everything that had just happened. She realized she trusted Monica, with a different kind of trust than she'd developed for Mulder. It was something feminine, gentle and maternal-sisterly, but also tender. Perhaps this is what Monica sensed as well, and she was just much better at expressing it. Scully knew she was often hard on the surface, but Monica was making ripples, and the sensation was not altogether unpleasant.

Something was off, and Agent Reyes could feel it like a cold breeze creeping in through an open door. As she pumped water into the metal bucket outside, she considered all the things that could go wrong. She was not particularly over-imaginative, but it seemed that when it came to the X Files, the most unimaginative things usually happened.

She wasn't given much time for contemplation, as she became aware of movement next to her. Just as she looked up, she realized someone was standing next to her. She had enough time to drop the bucket and push herself to her feet before hands were gripping her by the jacket, firm hands with a superhuman strength. The man, whom she recognized briefly, glimpsed at her for only a second before propelling her forward with only his arms, sending her crashing into a fence behind her.

Her head and shoulders hit hard, the ache spreading like wildfire after a moment of stunned disbelief. The man, Billy Miles as she now realized, was walking towards her. Hastily she looked around her for help, her fingers coming to rest on a garden rake. She held it out feebly, aware that what this man was wasn't entirely normal. Agent Doggett had briefly told her about the situation, but she didn't know what to make of it.

The man was unstoppable, and just as Reyes prepared to thrust the rake into his chest, a bang sounded and a bullet ripped through his chest, blood spraying the ground before him. He fell instantly, and Reyes saw a figure emerging to her left. The sheriff from earlier had somehow managed to return, and just on time. She held a gun pointed at the fallen Miles, clearly prepared for him to rise again. When he did not, she slightly lowered it.

Both the sheriff and Reyes stared at the man, his face and chest a bloodied mess, but his body unmoving. Whatever he was, and wherever he'd come from, it did not bode well for their situation.

Back inside, Scully heard the gunshot. Her heart skipped a beat and she stood instantly, fearful for Agent Reyes. She hurried to the door and emerged onto the porch. Scanning the road and abandoned buildings, she saw movement beside her and turned to see Monica and someone else-the sheriff probably- dragging another person between them. She walked down the steps and approached the other women.

"Go back inside, Dana!" Reyes said strongly.

They laid the body down and Monica was out of breath.

"Who is it?" Scully breathed, looking at the body. She recognized it, and gave Reyes a stunned look.

"Dana, it's okay, he's dead," Monica said.

Scully started. "No, it's not okay. What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Reyes said. "Now go inside; we'll take care of this."

Scully didn't trust Reyes for the first time since their arrival. "They said he couldn't be stopped! He's dangerous!"

"Dana, he's got no vitals!" Reyes kneeled down, placing a hand on the body. "He's lost too much blood…"

Her sentence was cut off as her fingers felt something hard beneath the skin on Billy Miles' neck. She looked down, and saw a peculiar protrusion at the base of his neck. She felt Scully's eyes on her, but did not want to alarm her any more than was necessary. Also, the sheriff was pulling up in her truck.

"Is this the man you're afraid of?" She asked as she walked towards them, facing Scully. "How did he find you out here?"

Scully stood still, unable to reply.

"I do have to report this thing," continued the sheriff. Scully was no longer listening, as an aching pain spread through her abdomen. She'd never experienced the sensation before, but was educated and aware enough to know it was a contraction. The baby was coming.

"No you can't do that," said Scully quickly.

"I don't have any real choice," the sheriff shook her head.

"No, I mean I, uh…" Scully put a hand on her stomach and looked to Monica. "I just felt a contraction."

Monica's heart began to pound as she and Scully shared alarmed looks. The sheriff turned from one to the other, and it was a good minute before anybody moved.

"Let's get her inside," the sheriff said, taking Scully by the arm.

Reyes followed, but remembered the water bucket as a thousand things ran through her head. "I'll be right there, Dana. I need to get the water."

Inside, Dana discovered the bed was not the right fit for what she felt she needed, and instead took a great chair next to the fireplace. The sheriff put a basin beneath her and Reyes rifled through blankets until she found the softest.

"How's this?" She showed it to Dana, who was breathing in and out audibly and looked pained.

"That's great," Scully said, closing her eyes at another contraction.

Reyes nodded and let her eyes drop to the sheriff, who was preparing the water basin. Almost as if she was looking for it, Monica's eyes fell on the sheriff's neck. A bulge, almost identical to that of Billy Miles, protruded from the top of her spine. Reyes' eyes grew, and she realized they had been in the hands of the enemy from the start.

Remembering to breathe, she contemplated her options. Dana's grunts and exhalations were getting quicker, and Monica knew she had to act fast, or the baby, and both the agents, would be in danger.

Her opportunity came a few moments later, when the sheriff asked her for a cup of hot water for Scully, who had moved to the bed. Moving mechanically to the boiling pails, Reyes dipped a glass into one and had her idea. Turning back to the sheriff, who was now standing behind her, she handed her the glass.

"Here you go," she said simply.

The sheriff took it and returned to Scully, handing it to the other woman who sipped it through quivering lips.

Meanwhile, Reyes was being quick, and careful. Picking up a bucket by the sides, she heaved the hot water just as the sheriff was turning back to her. The scalding water hit her in the face, and she was instantly screaming a shrill scream that sent goosebumps along Reyes' arms. Still, she wasn't taking chances.

"Move!" She pushed the woman away from Scully, and went for the sheriff's gun.

"Agent Reyes?" Dana's voice was full of panic, and Monica hated that she hadn't had time for explanations. There wasn't time now however, and Reyes had the woman on the run.

"Move out of here!" Reyes nudged at her with the gun, not intending to shoot, but definitely wanting to get her away from Dana.

At the base of the stairs, the woman fell, turning a blistered face back to Reyes, who pointed the gun.

"Who are you?" She shouted.

"This baby will be born," she said simply.

Then, no less than five cars drove up from all different directions, and the gun felt like a stick in her hands. Her eyes began to tear out of fear and frustration, and she panicked as Billy Miles' body rose from the ground and began to walk again. Inside, Dana was shouting her name, and Monica knew she was having the baby.

They were in trouble.

Scully wasn't aware of the commotion around her, the fact that Agent Reyes had assaulted the sheriff, or the fact that there were people waiting outside. Her body was ready to bring her baby into the world, and all else had to wait.

Monica seemed to be aware of this, as her concentrations returned to Scully and her delivery. Whatever anxiety Agent Reyes might have had before was gone now, and she reacted to the situation as calmly and effectively as Scully could have hoped for.

Through Monica's coaching and calls to push, Dana realized that even after the baby came out, it would not be safe.

"Please," she cried to Reyes and anybody else who could help. "Please don't let them take my baby!"

"Push Dana!" Reyes concentrated on her first job, pushing all the possible complications out of her mind so that she could concentrate solely on safely delivering the baby. When a small head emerged, followed by a beautiful face and a healthy cry, Reyes felt the rest of her anxiety fall away as she basked in the miracle before her. The rest of the body slid out easily, though Reyes was mostly concentrating on the very essence of the thing; this is how life begins.

Monica was smiling. Somewhere from beneath her, a baby was screaming, but Monica was smiling. Scully relaxed a little as she realized she had done it, and her baby had emerged healthy and safe. For a moment, it was only her, Reyes and the baby in the world. But outside, the sound of a helicopter approaching drew Scully and Reyes back to the issue at hand, and the absent faces of the unidentified masses surrounding them, watching.

Reyes carefully cleaned the baby as best she could before wrapping him in a blanket. She gently placed the bundle in Dana's arms. Then, she got up, silently instructing Scully to stay put, although she needed no instruction. Outside, a man was shouting, and Reyes had a pretty good idea who it was. The onlookers began to disperse, curiously leaving as quickly as they'd come. Reyes dodged moving cars and headed towards the commotion.

"Scully!" Mulder was shouting at a man in a car, who had witnessed the birth and was now leaving. "Tell me where she is!"

"Mulder!" Reyes shouted at him, and he ran to her.

"How is she?" Mulder asked, hopping up the steps.

"She's inside," Reyes said.

Mulder gently touched her arm as he passed inside. She held his grip, drawing him back. "She needs to get to the hospital," Reyes said, looking at him seriously. Mulder nodded in understanding before heading inside, Reyes following.

Inside, Scully was smiling, cuddling her baby boy and seemingly content after the departure of the onlookers. Mulder hurried to her, and Reyes smiled, turning from the two of them and busying herself cleaning up.


End file.
